Britons could face electric car havoc with massive backlog of EV technicians - 'The skills gap remains'
Experts have warned that the problem could get worse next decade
REUTERS
Experts have warned that drivers could face a major shortage in the number of technicians needed to support electric vehicles by the end of the decade.
As electric vehicle sales continue to grow, motorists are being warned that there will be a 3,000 EV technician shortfall predicted by 2031.
Almost 59,000 technicians around the country are qualified to work on electric vehicles and represent 24 per cent of the UK automotive workforce.
However, the Institute of the Motor Industry is currently predicting a shortfall of 3,000 technicians by 2031, as the gap is expected to reach 16,000 by 2035.
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There are more than 53,000 public EV chargers around the UK PANew data from the IMI also shows a distinct postcode lottery across the country for electric vehicle skills.
While London and the South East of England have the highest proportion of EVs, the regions do not have the largest number of technicians at just 6.1 per cent and 6.4 per cent respectively.
The East of England has the third highest number of technicians in the UK with 18,073, but has the highest proportion of technicians with 9.5 per cent.
This is 1.3 per cent higher than West Midlands in second place. This is followed by Scotland (7.9 per cent), the South East (6.4 per cent) and London (6.1 per cent).
Kevin Finn, executive chair at the IMI, said more needed to be done to ensure electric vehicle owners could rely on their vehicles beyond the end of the decade, especially as more motorists make the switch.
He added: "There has been encouraging growth in the number of technicians gaining EV certification so far in 2024.
“However, with the expected reinstatement of the 2030 ICE ban deadline by the new Government, the skills gap remains.
"Automotive businesses urgently need to prioritise training more technicians so that the expected rising number of EV owners can find a local technician qualified to work safely on their vehicle.”
The Labour Government has pledged to reinstate the original 2030 deadline for the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, which is currently set for 2035.
This could cause some issues with the current terms of the Zero Emission Vehicle mandate which dictates that 80 per cent of new vehicles must be electric by 2030 and 100 per cent by 2035.
According to the latest research from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), battery electric vehicle uptake outpaced the overall market, by rising 18.8 per cent.
A total of 27,335 electric cars were registered in July 2024, a significant year-on-year change of 18.8 per cent - second only to hybrid vehicles rising 31.4 per cent.
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Some areas will be forced to deal with a postcode lottery of EV technicians
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Electric vehicles now have an overall market share of 18.5 per cent, more than any other fuel type aside from petrol at 52.1 per cent.
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